Cost of BSE epidemic put at Eur92bn

The long-term cost of Europe's BSE crisis could reach €92 billion according to research headed by an Irish scientist.

The disease, which has spread to a small number of humans as variant CJD, plunged the European livestock sector into its largest peacetime crisis in 100 years, according to the report.

"BSE has been a calamity for governments, for the meat trade, for farmers and most of all for the 150 people who have died from the BSE-linked variant CJD," stated Prof Patrick Cunningham of Trinity College Dublin. He headed the research group who produced the report, prepared by the European Association for Animal Production.

The wide-ranging report was critical of government supervision, farming methods and practices in the meat industry. The BSE epidemic began in Britain in 1986 and spread to 21 countries worldwide, the report states. Britain was by far the most severely affected with 183,496 cattle affected and a human death toll from vCJD so far of 136 victims.

Most western European countries have been affected together with Japan and most recently Canada. Confirmation of a single case in May 2003 there is currently costing Canada $11million a day in lost exports according to the report.